MOA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 198, 19 February 1912, Page 8

MOA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Moa Road Board was held on Saturday at the Board's office, Inglewood, when there were present: Messrs. H. Trimble (chairman), Bridgeman, R. T. Williams, J. Williams, A, Chard, A. E. Lawrence, J. Collingwood, A. Corkill, and Anderson.

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Mr. S. Orbell (engineer) reported that the contractor for forming and metalling the Upland road had most of the required boulders carted to the crusher site and the metalling was started last Monday. The metalling contract on the Bristol road was now practically completed. The culvert on the Ratapiko road had been started. He also submitted an estimate for forming and metalling a portion of Everett road.

FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman Stachurski had cleaned water-tables on Dudley West, Hursthouse and King roads, and on the latter road had also 'filled in ruts. He had also put in some pipe culverts on the Windsor ' and Dudley West roads, and cleaned out the river on the Bedford road. Foreman Jones reported that Mr. Lawrence had finished Ms contract for 100 yards boulders on Rugby road and 120 yards on Norfolk West. His 60 yards on Surey road were broken and tallied out 50 yards 21 feet. L. Bishop had procured 230 yards out of his 31)0 yards for Durham West. Mr. Douch was getting on very well, with the Durham West loan contract. He had patched and i » roa(ls wll ere most needed. Most of the roads were very rough with loose stones.

Foreman Knofflock reported that Bishop had finished his Bristol West contract. Various work was required on the Lincoln, _ York, Mangaone, Bristol west and Kaimate North roads • Foreman W. Bennett had been employed patching, forming, and attending to water-tables on the Kupara, Ratapiko. and Kaimate roads. He had also cleaned a slip on the Motukawa- road. MONTHLY STATEMENT . , . Monthly statement showed that receipts had amounted to £1149 ig s 2d (rates producing £lll9 6 S 2d). Expendi- £ IO7O ! s 10 (interest S loans £904-138 «d, roads £152 19s). The bank account showed credit balances of £IOOO 12s 9d (general) and £1293 10s 6d (loan).

BRISTOL ROAD. ;, C '/ McKenzie, Resident Engineer, Wnti n' n , otlfled that the Public Works Department approved of the plans and specifications for contracts of forming and metalling Bristol road in order to absorb the balance of £l7O due to ir r on a £ for £ basis. Ji Wi " iams was authorised to deviation ' 1 16 feDCin * Bristol road

SURREY ROAD. L* r - 7' , M l\ rtin wai ted on the Board and asked that work should be done on Surrey road at the top end.-The foieman is to be instructed to put two road yS W ° rk in im P r °ving the

DAVIS ROAD. The chairman reported .that a corner the Moa Road Board, conhTm"elf T.^ eSSr f LaWrCnee ' Corkin and 2 a committee from the Waitara West Road Board. As a result it was arranged that the Waitara West Road Board should give the Moa Road Board two-thirds of the rates from property which used the Davis road as an outlet towards the upkeep of the road. Ihey also agreed to keep a separate account, so that if all the money was not spent in one year, it would be available tor trie next or any other year. This P™ ve satisfactory to'both bodies, and had been embodied in an agreement which he read. ' The agreement was adopted. I

DURHAM ROAD WEST. Messrs. Lawrence and Bridgeman re- J ported that they had visited the Durham; road to see what work was necessary.) The piece of road that the .settlers wished metalled was 22 chains. They decided to have the road formed to the width of 18 feet on the level and 16 feet in the cuttings. Ten 6-inch pipes would also be required. As they understood that there might he trouble with the contractors and nappers in accepting road measurement for broken stone, they had arranged with the foreman to measure the stone in heaps. They recommended nine inches of metal on the level, to be reduced in the cuttings.—The report was adopted. RATAPIKO ROAD LOAN.

The chairman reported that Messrs. Young and Bilski were objecting to the proposed loan on the Ratapiko road, and the magistrate had fixed on February 29 as the date for hearing the objections at the Inglewood Court. The clr-rlc reported that Mr. Bilski refused to pay the special. rate on the Ratapiko road. : Mr. Anderson pointed out that Mr. Bilski never used this road,' ae the Tariki road was his outlet.

Tlie board will take steps to recover the special rate. TEN PER CENT. PENALTY."

_ Mr. Corkill asked if the date for adding the 10 per cent, penalty for nonpayment of rates could not be altered from the present date, i.e., the 14th of the month, to the first Wednesday or Saturday after the 20th, which was factory pay day. ■ The chairman pointed 'out that tho 14th was the date fixed by law. Ratepayers had six months allowed after striking the rate in which to pay the rate before the penalty was added. Several ratepayers who had asked had been granted an extension till the 21st, which was the utmost limit to which the board could extend. GENERAL.

Owing to the absence of the engineer, the chairman intimated that he had been unable to make up the cost ©f the Manganui bridge as asked by the lata contractor—The matter was deferred till next meeting. Messrs. Weston and Weston, on behalf of Mrs. E. Hine, Waiongona, wrote offering £7 for the unused portion 'of the Lepper road running through her property.—The board resolved to approach the Lands Department and ascertain if there was any objection to the road being closed, after which the usual formal steps will be taken to dispose of the land.

Mr. 11. ST. Liardet, manager for the Ocean Accident Company, notified that, under the terms of the Workes' Compensation Amendment Act, 1911, which came into operation on March 1, 1912, the liability on account of accidents would be increased.

The New Plymouth Sash and Door Company forwarded a cheque for £l6 7s 3d, being royalty carted over Egmont find Lepper roads for six months ending December 31, 1911.

Mr. R. Ellis, county clerk, on behalf of the Taranaki County Council, thanked the board for allowing one of its foreman to repair Ngatoronui bridge when the county foreman was disabled. . It was resolved to inform J. J. Ryan that the chairman and foreman had visited the road and that nothing could be done except metal the road. It was resolved to offer the land cut off by the deviation of the Upland road to the owners of the adjoining land. Accounts were passed for payment as follows:—General £298 Os 9d, loan £343 17s 3d.